Ungaland Interview: Esteban on Oogie, Primal Seeds and the Game’s Prehistoric World

A colorful prehistoric world, a strange little brute named Oogie, and a combat system built around experimentation give Ungaland its own identity before launch.

UNGALAND! is one of those upcoming indie games that immediately stands out through its look, but the more interesting part may be what sits underneath that playful style. MevStudio’s action-adventure blends platforming, challenge, and a weapon-and-ability system built around Primal Seeds, all wrapped in a prehistoric world that leans into personality rather than grit for grit’s sake.

For readers who enjoy hearing directly from developers about how a game takes shape, this fits naturally alongside our Developer Interviews. It also touches on some of the same design concerns we recently explored in our Vital Shell interview, particularly around iteration, identity, and making mechanics feel intentional.

Ahead of the game’s broader push, we sent over a few questions to learn more about the original idea behind Ungaland, the thinking behind its colorful but combat-driven style, and what MevStudio believes makes it stand apart from other action-platformers.

UNGALAND! – Official Trailer

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Developer Q&A – Esteban on Ungaland

Answers provided by Esteban Verdezoto.

1. What was the original idea behind Ungaland, and what made you want to build a prehistoric action-adventure around Oogie and this world?

Ungaland started from a pretty simple idea: what if a fast-paced action-platformer had light elements of a soulslike? Not all soulslikes need to be dark and serious, and from that idea, Ungaland was born.

Oogie overlooks one of Ungaland’s colorful prehistoric environments.

One of Ungaland’s more atmospheric cave spaces opens into a softer, natural scene.

The prehistoric theme also gives us room to mix humor, danger, and imagination in a way that feels fresh. We’re building a vibrant, slightly absurd world where oversized weapons, strange creatures, and evolving abilities all make sense. That freedom is really at the core of Ungaland’s identity.

2. Ungaland has a very colorful and playful visual identity. How important was it for you to balance that style with action, combat, and challenge?

That balance is actually one of the most important pillars of Ungaland. From the beginning, we knew we wanted a bright, colorful, almost nostalgic visual style that feels welcoming and fun at first glance. But at the same time, we didn’t want the game to feel shallow or purely casual. The goal is to create contrast: a world that looks playful, but delivers satisfying combat depth and real challenge as you progress.

This contrast helps make the experience more memorable. When players enter Ungaland, they might expect something light, but then they discover layered combat systems, timing-based mechanics, and encounters that require skill and strategy. We’ve also been very intentional with readability. Colors, animations, and effects are designed not just to look good, but to clearly communicate what’s happening during fast-paced gameplay.

3. The Steam page mentions Primal Seeds that affect abilities and weapons. How central is that system to the way players progress and experiment in the game?

The Primal Seeds system is absolutely central to Ungaland. It’s one of the main elements that defines how players interact with the game. Instead of a traditional progression system where you unlock fixed upgrades over time, Primal Seeds are designed to encourage experimentation and adaptability. Each seed can modify how a weapon behaves or how Oogie moves and fights, which means players are constantly discovering new playstyles.

4. What has been the biggest challenge so far during development, especially in shaping the game’s identity ahead of the Kickstarter campaign?

One of the biggest challenges has been clearly defining and communicating what makes Ungaland unique. When you’re building something that mixes multiple ideas, action-platforming, weapon-based abilities, and a playful prehistoric world, it’s easy for the core identity to become diluted if you’re not careful. Internally, we’ve always had a strong vision, but translating that into something players immediately understand has taken a lot of iteration.

Another challenge has been prioritization. There are many ideas we’d love to include, but especially ahead of a Kickstarter campaign, it’s critical to focus on what best represents the game. That means refining the core gameplay loop, polishing the demo, and making sure every system we show feels intentional and polished.

5. For people discovering Ungaland for the first time, what do you feel is the one thing that makes the game stand out from other action-platformers?

If we had to point to one defining element, it would be the way we mix two styles of games: platformers and soulslikes. Overall, it’s that combination of freedom, personality, and gameplay depth that we believe gives Ungaland its own identity within the genre.

UNGALAND!

Release: To be announced

Genre: Action, Adventure, Indie, RPG

Developer / Publisher: MevStudio

Platforms: PC (Steam)

Ungaland Interview: Esteban on Oogie, Primal Seeds, and Building a Colorful Prehistoric Action-Adventure